Student Newspaper of the College of the Holy Cross

October Break Entertainment Preview

As October break nears for Holy Cross students, so do the mid-term dates that seemed so far away when we checked our syllabi six weeks ago. With that in mind, students will definitely be seeking some relaxation next week. Below are the movies and television shows that I’m most excited to binge-watch when I get home Friday afternoon.

A Star is Born

The Bradley Cooper-directed and Lady Gaga-led movie musical “A Star is Born” is one of the fall’s most widely anticipated releases. After an early leak of a critic’s review dubbed the movie one of the greatest of all time, I have been anxiously awaiting its October 5 release date. Variety critic calls the film a “masterpiece,” and Forbes critic Mark Hughes predicts that it will win Best Picture at the 2018 Oscars. If that doesn’t persuade you, check out the trailer; it is so compelling I think it could stand alone as a short film. I probably contributed a couple hundred of the ten million views it has on youtube. How could one not with the dramatic cuts in time with the music! Bradley Cooper’s beard and shockingly decent singing voice! I’ve decided that Lady Gaga’s high notes alone could entertain me for the entirety of the movie and for 30 seconds of the trailer she just makes a bunch of random sounds. “A Star is Born” is definitely a must-see, and I’m sure everyone on the hill will be talking about it when we get back from break – at least I will be.

Venom

Venom first graced Marvel’s screens as the antagonist in the 2007 “Spider-Man 3” film. This time, the symbiote anti-hero will not face Peter Parker and instead create his own narrative. If you are looking for an action film to fill up two hours of your break, I think “Venom” is the perfect solution for that. However, die hard comic book fans might want to stay away from this adaptation – Sony pictures decided to place a review embargo on the film, likely in an attempt to hide negative reviews from critics before people buy tickets. If anything, at least check out the trailer if you want to be entertained by Jenny Slate pronouncing “symbiote” incorrectly.

Beautiful Boy

Film festival darling “Beautiful Boy” drops October 12. The screenplay details Nic Sheff’s struggles with drug addiction and is largely based off of the autobiographies “Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey with his Son’s Addiction” and “Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines” written by Sheff and his father. 2017 award season breakout star Timothee Chamalet stars as Nic and has already garnered praise for his nuanced emotional portrayal of addiction; Steve Carell showcases his serious side as Nic’s father, and early reviews also applaud the depth of his emotional narrative throughline. Fans of “The Office” will appreciate that Amy Ryan plays Nic’s mother in the film, thus reuniting Carell with his spouse from the beloved sitcom. “Beautiful Boy” is likely to be a tearjerker – but if you are into that, the powerful film is definitely a must-watch.